YOU’RE SO METAL, 8BITCORE!

What is 8BitCore?

8bitcore is a gaming brand with a bit of an edge 🙂

Why did you decide to come up with the name, 8BitCore?

I was scribbling some ideas for website names (originally it was my web design portfolio). I drew a gameboy with a face, then next to it I wrote: BitBoy, 8bitcore and 16bitcore. I found the paper a little while back and the other two were crossed out! I think 8bitcore rolls off the tongue a bit easier than 16bitcore, so that was the kicker.

How did your brand start? What was the inspiration behind it?

It all started when I was addicted to collecting pins. I had an idea for pins of the switch controllers but they would be a pair, and started looking into getting them made. I ordered 100 and started selling them but as it went on I knew I wanted to do clothing too.

The inspiration was that I found “nerd” shirts to be kind of cringy. Like Big Bang Theory levels of cringe. Nothing really appealed to me, so I merged it with a dark/metal/goth vibe to try and make stuff that was nerdy but still looked good. I wanted stuff I’d actually wear myself.

How would you describe your clothing brands style?

It’s gaming related but dark. Marilyn Manson playing Mario. I love the aesthetic of death metal, spiky text and white print on black.

What was your first design you made? What inspired that design?

I was sat on a lunch break at work doodling on some paper when I came up with the idea for the RinguBoy shirt which I thought would appeal to people so I pushed forward and got it made. It was all downhill from there! I honestly don’t remember how it came to me, I’m sure the page was covered in a lot of bad ideas though…

Of all of your designs, what is your most favorite and why?

I’m a big fan of the logo shirt if I’m honest. I did it on a longline tee and the look of it with the logo stretched all the way down just looks so clean. Other than that, it’s probably Majora’s Oni Mask because it’s got a lot of colour and I was so happy with how it turned out with the bold red text behind it.

If you were able to collaborate with any brand, company, or artist, who would you like to work with?

Oh man don’t make me pick! I’ve met so many amazing people running brands while doing this, and I do have plans to collaborate with a few of them already, but in the future I’d absolutely love to collab with Lewd Complex, Gomen Gang and Get Lost Perv. All three of them do amazing work and are run by the coolest people out there. And impossible dream? Probably Drop Dead or Nintendo.

Since you are named 8bitcore, I just have to ask…what is your favorite 8bit game or series?

Probably Megaman. The second game is just art, visually and as a display of game design. Most people probably don’t even notice but as you play through the levels you are safely introduced to elements that later on have more risk to them, so when you get there you’re prepared to handle it. Also the soundtrack absolutely kills.

Also, you know, since Otakify has to do with anime…do you have a favorite anime series?

It’s between Gurren Lagann and Evangelion, which both do look like big stompy mecha action anime but there’s so much more to them. If I can throw films in as well it’s hands-down Akira. I remember watching it on a VHS that my dad had recorded off TV really late one night when I was far too young to understand it and my mind was absolutely blown.

What are some words of advice that you can give the viewers who want to get into starting their own clothing brand?

Just go for it. Get 30 shirts made and see how people react to it. Try to do something different, create something that doesn’t exist already and you’ll get your audience 🙂